#Poem I’m Still Me by Lisa Doherty #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mhaw2017

My life has been a constant struggle,

Grasping for that little bubble.

The one with air to help me thrive,

Help me live, help me strive.

 

But NONE of this does anyone see,

To all, but you, I’m just me!

The chirpy, upbeat girl who’s full of fun.

When they have troubles, it’s to me they run!

 

Only you know what’s inside,

All the times I wish I’d died.

The love you show me, the love you give,

You are the reason why I live.

 

You understand what they don’t see,

I’m screwed up but yet I’m me.

If I took off the veil I wear,

And others saw ME, would they still be there?
By M.L. Doherty

I have lived with mental health issues for over 20 years and given this is Mental Health Awareness Week I thought I might share one of my poems. Mental health issues affect so many people and, as can be seen in this poem, no one realises that I suffer the issues that I do. I remember telling someone about a year ago that I understood what they were going through (they had just been diagnosed with depression) and they told me that someone like me could never understand. I told them that people only see what they want to see and after many years of practice I had learned how to hide my problems when I’m in public.

What I am trying to point out here is that just because someone seems to have a perfect life or be the happiest person on earth, you have no idea what is really going on. It could be depression, anxiety, panic attacks or possibly living in an abusive relationship (I am not the last example).

Take the time and ask someone how they are, be it a friend or a stranger, and I mean really ask how they are. You just might save a life!

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11 thoughts on “#Poem I’m Still Me by Lisa Doherty #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mhaw2017”

  2. Great poem and great post. 🌸I’m sorry to hear about your struggles and I understand some of what you’re going through. Like you said, we don’t always know what goes on behind a big smile.
    Thanks for sharing.
    (((((Big hugs))))) 🦋🌸🦋

    Liked by 1 person

    • Sorry I didn’t answer sooner, this went to my spam. I am someone who tries to take positivity out of everything eg my mum died when she was 47 and I was 27 but still running to her for everything and didn’t know how to stand on my own 2 feet even though I was married and a mum myself. I find the positive in that that not only is she out of pain (she was bed bound with M.S.) but I learned to stand on my own 2 feet. Even with being a positive person and trying to bring it into every aspect of my life and trying to live my life based on the Gospel, depression is always there and it always will be but I have realised it is how you cope with it and whether or not you let people in when you need help during the dark times.
      This is something I have talked about many times with folk and sometimes I feel what I have went through helps me to get others to speak up as it isn’t something to be ashamed of.
      Here endeth the ramble 😂

      Like

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